OoO, Omake idea;
-Lifted from somewhere and if you can tell without googling, you sir are a man of culture.
Magister Patriarch Algard gets Schooled on Need to Know
Scene, Newly promoted Magister Patriarch Algard who has been struggling to adapt to his new responsiblities is sitting in his office after recently returning from the palace where he has been asked to give a report about Grey Collage activities, his Pen Magister Grey is on his side and his permenent secretery Lord Magister Humpfrey Appfelbiene who has requested an urgent meeting right after his return from the palace.
M.P. Algard: Humpfrey sit sit, what is this about Magister Grey has said it was urgent.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Sir I heard that today in palace you have denied Lord Wolfgangs house is being watched by our order.
M.P. Algard: It is about that well obviously. It was one question today that I could give an clear, simple and strightfoward and honest answer.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Yes, Unfortunately, although the answer was indeed clear, simple and straightforward, there is some difficulty in justifiably assigning to it the fourth of the epithets you applied to the statement in as much as the precise correlation between the information you communicated and the facts insofar as they can be determined and demonstrated is such as to cause epistemological problems of sufficient magnitude as to lay upon the logical and semantic resources of the Reikspiel language a heavier burden than they can reasonably be expected to bear.
M.P. Algard: Epistemological, what are you talking about?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: You told a ... lie.
M.P. Algard: A lie?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: A lie.
M.P. Algard: what do you mean a lie?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: I mean you lied. I know it is a difficul concept to get across for a Grey Wizard. Erm. Let's see. Ah yes you did not told the truth.
M.P. Algard: You mean we were watching Lord Wolfgangs house?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: We were.
M.P. Algard: We were. When did we stop?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: *checks the expensive clockwork on the wall* about 17 minutes ago.
M.P. Algard: You can't call that lying.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: What would you call the opposite of telling the truth.
M.P. Algard: I mean there was no intent! I would never knowingly mislead the Emperor.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: None the less you have done so.
M.P. Algard: Wasn't my fault. I didn't know his house was being watched.
M. Grey: *interrupting* Magister Patriarch, you are deem to know you are ultimately responsible.
M.P. Algard: Why wasn't I told?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: The Porter might not felt the need to inform you.
M.P. Algard: Why?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Perhaps he didn't know either. Or perhaps he has been advised that you did not need to know.
M.P. Algard: Wel I did need to know.
M. Grey:Apparently, the fact that you needed to know was not known at the time that the now known need-to-know was known. And therefore, those that needed to advise and inform the Porter perhaps felt that the information that he needed, as to whether to inform the highest authority of the known information, was not yet known. And therefore there was no authority for the authority to be informed, because the need-to-know was not at that time known or needed.
M.P. Algard: What?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: We did not know that you would deny it on the Palace.
M.P. Algard: Well obviously I would deny it if I didn't know and were asked.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: We did not know that you would be asked when you did not know.
M.P. Algard: That is bound to be asked when I didn't know If I didn't know
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: What?
M.P. Algard: What?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: It was thought that it was better to not inform you. You see Lord Hans Wolfgang is part of the goverment that is supportive of the Colleges and it was tought better to not create distrust, we only tell you when you should be aware.
M.P. Algard: When is that?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: You should be now be aware because you have just denied it.
M.P. Algard: Well it would have been rather more helpful if I had been awere before I denied it.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: On the Contrary Magister Patriarch, If you had been aware before you denied it, you would not have denied it.
M.P. Algard: But I needed to know.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: We do not always tell you when we are watching somebody when you need to know.
M. Grey: Because you see Magister Patriarch at times we need you to not to know.
M.P. Algard: *Looks at Humpfrey* Why have you decided I did not need to know?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: I didn't,
M.P. Algard: Then who did?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Well, nobody. It was just that nobody has decided to tell you.
M.P. Algard: That is the same thing.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: On the contrary. To decide to conceal information from you is a heavy burden for any Grey Wizard to shoulder but to decide not reveal information to you is routune procedure.
M.P. Algard: Humpfrey, I need to know everything.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Very well. *opens the file holder he had been holding* Stationery deliveries this week ...
M.P. Algard: Humpfrey, I mean important things.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Who should decide what is important.
M.P. Algard: Humpfrey how can you defend this cock up?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Well as you said in the last Electors meet, we got it wrong.
M.P. Algard: You got it wrong. * giving a stright stare at him*
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: I Magister Patriarch am merely your humble servant. The Porter has made the decision.
M.P. Algard: Is there any reason why I should not ask him to resign?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: With respect you should only ask him resign when he makes a mistake which could have been seen at the time and not with the benefit of hinsight. But you see trouble has risen today because of your error of judgement in making this denial.
M.P. Algard: What?
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: You should not have denied something about which you did not know.
M.P. Algard: But that is your fault,you just have admitted it! Keeping secrets from Magister Patriarch
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: Not at all. System works perfectly well as long as Magister Patriarch tells to Magisterial Council everything he is going to say before he says it. But if he says it before clearing it with his councillors he has only himself to blame. With respect Magister Patriarch you must learn discretion.
M.P. Algard: I didn't know there was something to be discreet about.
L.M. Humpfrey Appfelbiene: In Grey Order there is always something to be discreet about.
M.P. Algard: Just get out. Out I say.
* So in the third month of his reign did Algard finally understood the gift of the most vile tasting moonshine left behind by his predecessor and got blind drunk. It would not be the last time.*
FIN.
